Warriors: Winding Path
by Hazelspirit
Summary: This is what happens in between Warriors 6: The Darkest Hour and Warriors 1: The New Prophecy: Midnight. This is my first fanfic! Chappie 8 is up!
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Warriors, I'm just using the characters to make a story. I'm making no money off this!

TAGLINE: What happens in between Warriors #6 The Darkest Hour, and Warriors: The New Prophecy: #1 Midnight.

Warriors #7(in first series): Winding Path

Prologue

"Yep," meowed the ThunderClan medicine cat, Cinderpelt. "Sandstorm, you are expecting kits." Sandstorm nearly leaped for joy, but Cinderpelt signaled to her to remain calm as she examined Sandstorm's belly. She heard three heartbeats.

"Three heatbeats," she reported. "One is yours. So two kits." Cinderpelt straightened herself. "So are you going to tell the lucky father, Firestar?"

Sandstorm eyed Cinderpelt, wondering how the medicine cat knew. Cinderpelt laughed.

"Everyone in the Clan knows about you and Firestar!"

Sandstorm looked at her paws. Cinderpelt was right. Who were they kidding? She hurried out of the medicine cat's den, thinking about how 'everyone in the Clan knew.' Firestar was outside of his den, talking to the ThunderClan deputy and his best friend, Graystripe. Sandstorm sat beside her mate.

"Firestar," she meowed into his dark ginger fur, "Can I talk to you alone?"

Graystripe stopped talking about how his border patrol found a dead squirrel on the Thunderpath and looked at Sandstorm.

"Is something the matter?" asked Firestar. Sandstorm scuffed her paws on the dusty ground. Firestar seemed to understand.

"Graystripe, can you organize a hunting patrol? We will dicuss this later."

Graystripe gave Firestar and Sandstorm a confused look, then nodded and padded off. Then Firestar stood and led Sandstorm into his den.

Once they were settled inside, Sandstorm took in a deep breath and meowed, "Firestar, I've just been to see Cinderpelt. She has I am expecting kits! Two of them!"

Firestar's eyes widened. "That's wonderful!" he meowed, purring. He sat beside his mate and for a while they simply nuzzled each other, enjoying their company.

Then, rather out of the blue, Sandstorm said, "Cinderpelt knew the kits are yours. She said the whole Clan knew about me and you." Firestar smiled, a glint of playfulness in his eyes.

"She said that, didn't she?" he meowed, cuffing Sandstorm over her ear playfully. "We'll get her for that."

He playfully nipped Sandstorm on the ear. Sandstorm laughed.

"I guess I should be moving into the nursery now," she meowed.

Firestar purred. "Yes," he meowed, "I'll see you around."

Sandstorm purred, nodded, and left Firestar's den. She padded over to the warrior's den and went inside, realizing this would be the last time in a while before she went in there again. She took her pile of moss that she used for bedding and carried it to the nursery, where she found a nice, cozy, and warm place to sleep. She settled down into the little nest of moss and tried to go to sleep, despite the excited feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Firestar couldn't believe he was to be the father of two kits soon. He was really excited, and hoped things would work out. He hurried out of his den and told his deputy, Graystripe. The news spread throughout the Clan, and everyone was happy.


	2. Chapter 1: A Special Love

Chapter 1:

A Special Love

Sandstorm awoke on a brisk, warm new-leaf morning. She stood and stretched, then left the nursery where she had been staying ever since she began carrying Firestar's kits. Sandstorm padded up to the fresh-kill pile, feeling it was hard to crouch down with a swollen stomach. Firestar padded up to his mate.

"Hello Sandstorm," he meowed, "How are you feeling today?"

Sandstorm purred. "Good as I'll ever be with kits," she said. Firestar nuzzled her head. Sandstorm wanted them to be like this always. But suddenly Graystripe, ThunderClan's deputy, walked up to Firestar, signaling to him with his tail that he needed to talk to his leader.

"I have to go now," Firestar said. "See you later."

Sandstorm meowed a farewell, disappointed. _He's Clan leader now,_ she thought, _He has his duties. _She picked out a vole from the pile and ate it quickly, then started back towards the nursery.

Firestar hated being away from his mate, Sandstorm, especially when she was expecting kits. But ThunderClan needed him. He was Clan leader, after all. But sometimes he longed to get away from it all, to escape somewhere to be alone with Sandstorm. But nowadays that rarely happened. He sighed.

"I'm going to take a hunting patrol out," he told Graystripe, and headed for the nursery without telling his deputy any more.

Once inside the nursery, he softly called, "Sandstorm," Sandstorm saw her mate and sprang to her paws.

"Yes, Firestar?" she meowed.

"I was going to take out a hunting patrol," Firestar stopped and looked his mate in the eyes. He knew that she knew what was up.

She nodded. "Of course," she whispered into her mate's dark ginger fur.

They were off, into the forest, wind trailing through their fur. Sandstorm had never felt so alive. They stopped in a sandy clearing in the midst of Tallpines, and they sat down, trying to catch their breaths. Firestar sat beside his mate and nuzzled her head. Sandstorm did the same back. They were in love, and they were going to have kits to prove it.

"I'll catch you a vole," Firestar meowed, and he bounded off into the undergrowth.

It didn't take longer than a few minutes for Firestar to catch a nice, fat, juicy vole for Sandstorm. He had just started back to where his mate was when he heard a loud, high-pitched yowling coming from where Sandstorm was. Firestar felt his blood run cold. He dropped the vole and raced through the bracken to find Sandstorm laying in the grass, her sandy-colored sides heaving and emerald green eyes wide.

Firestar hardly had time to think when Sandstorm spotted him and gasped, "Firestar," she panted, "Our kits are coming!"


	3. Chapter 2: Two Little Miracles

Chapter 2:

Two Little Miracles

Firestar was shocked. He felt frozen to the ground.

"Stay calm, Sandstorm," he forced himself to say, "I'll go get Cinderpelt."

Firestar raced through the forest and into ThunderClan's camp. Graystripe hurried up to his leader.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, worried.

"Sandstorm is kitting!" howled Firestar and he hurried to the medicine cat's den.

"Cinderpelt!" he meowed urgently. "Cinderpelt, Sandstorm is having her kits-outside of camp!"

Cinderpelt appeared at once, a bundle of herbs in a leaf in her jaws.

"Take me to her," she muttered through the bundle in her mouth.

Firestar nodded, and as he was about to leave he turned to Graystripe and said, "You're in charge while I'm gone."

Graystripe nodded urgently. "Good luck!" he called as Firestar raced out of the gorse tunnel and into the forest.

He only slowed down when he remembered about Cinderpelt's bad leg, a result of Tigerstar tricking her when she was an apprentice. It was really a trap for Bluestar, the previous leader, but Cinderpelt fell victim to it instead. But whe Firestar looked behind him, Cinderpelt was going almost as fast as Firestar.

So Firestar started up running again, wind whipping at his flame-colored fur. He stopped when he got to Sandstorm, her flanks heaving, eyes wide with fear. Cinderpelt hurried to his mate's side and examined her quickly.

"You're going to be alright, Sandstorm," she meowed.

The medicine cat hunched beside the sandy-colored she-cat, getting ready for the first kit. Firestar crouched beside his mate's head, licking it gently.

"It's going to be okay, Sandstorm," he muttered into her beautiful fur.

Sandstorm looked up into Firestar's eyes. She was about to say something back to her mate when another surge of pain coursed down her side. She pressed her eyes shut, panting heavily.

"The first kit is coming," Sandstorm heard Cinderpelt say, but the world looked and sounded fuzzy.

She felt dizzy as the pain rocketed through her again, this time worse than it had ever been. She yowled loudly in pain.

"Good," murmured Cinderpelt. "You're doing just fine."

Sandstorm looked into Firestar's loving green eyes. He licked her head.

"I love you," he muttered.

"I love you, too," she meowed as she felt another pain, and her first kit was born.

Sandstorm, still weak, bent over to lick the kit.

"A she-cat," Cinderpelt said, gazing down on the kit, looking as proud as if were her own.

Firestar hurried to see his new daughter. The tiny kit's fur was a flame color, like his own, only a bit lighter, and her eyes the same shade of green. Sandstorm stopped her licking and looked up at her mate.

"She looks just like you," she meowed, a proud look in her eyes.

Firestar nodded, his gaze still on his kit. He could barely keep back his feelings of joy, excitement, and nervousness. He was a father now.

Sandstorm stopped licking her first kit and nudged it to her warm belly, where it suckled comfortably. She then laid her head on the grassy ground, taking in a deep breath. The next, and last, kit would be coming soon. She saw Firestar pad back to sit beside her head again.

"Squirrelkit," he muttered.

Sandstorm closed her eyes and purred.

"Perfect," she murmured.

Suddenly another flash of pain coursed through her, and Cinderpelt meowed, "Another she-cat."

Sandstorm, now feeling even weaker, leaned over to lick the next kit. It was a tortoiseshell.

Firestar looked at his two kits lovingly.

Sandstorm stopped licking and nudged her other daughter to her belly, muttering,

"Leafkit." Then she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 3: A Warrior, Rouge, and Med Cat

Chapter 3:

Squirrelkit and Leafkit

Sandstorm awoke in the nursery to her and Firestar's two kits, Squirrelkit and Leafkit. She sighed with happiness. Squirrelkit awoke and poked her sister, Leafkit.

"C'mon, Leafkit!" Squirrelpaw mewed. "Let's play Clan vs. rouges again!" Leafkit shifted in her sleep.

"Do I hafta?" she mewled, snuggling closer to her mother. Sandstorm let out a mrrow of laughter.

"C'mon, Leafkit," Squirrelpaw said, poking her sister again. Leafkit grunted and sat up.

"Okay, okay," she mewed dully. "But I don't want to be a warrior, I want to be a medicine cat!" Sandstorm looked proudly at Leafkit.

"Really?" Sandstorm meowed. Leafkit nodded.

"Medicine cat?" Squirrelkit meowed. She thought for a moment, then said, "Well, how about I invite Shrewkit to be a rouge, so then I'll be a warrior. And you can heal me when I get hurt in battle protecting my Clan!"

Leafkit nodded excitedly. "Okay!" she meowed.

Squirrelkit led her sister to where Ferncloud lay with Shrewkit.

"Hi, Shrewkit," Squirrelkit meowed, "You wanna play warrior vs. rouge? You can be the rouge!"

Shrewkit looked up at Ferncloud. "Can I, Mama?" he asked. Ferncloud smiled and nodded. "Just don't leave camp, I'll make sure your father will watch over you."

Sandstorm nodded. "That goes for you, too, Leafkit and Squirrelkit. Firestar will be having an eye on you."

The three kits nodded and hurried out of the nursery.

"Okay," Squirrelkit meowed, "Now, Shrewkit, since you are a rouge, you go over there," she pointed to a bush with her tail tip, "And Leafkit, go somewhere until the battle is over. On my battle cry we'll start-"

"No." Shrewkit mewed. "Squirrelkit, why are you always in charge?"

"'Cause that's how it works." Squirrelkit replied flatly. "Do you want to play or not?"

Shrewkit exchanged glances with Leafkit.

"Shrewkit is right," Leafkit piped up. "I don't want to battle. I want to heal someone with a thorn in their pad!"

Squirrelkit, now angry, retorted, "Okay, Leafkit, I'll be the thorn, and you can be the pad!"

Leafkit cried out in terror as Squirrelkit chased her around camp.

"Stop!" yowled Shrewkit.

Squirrelkit stopped.

"You know what? I don't need you," she meowed defiantly.

Leafkit stopped, panting.

Squirrelkit turned her back to her sister and Shrewkit. She didn't care that her mother told her not to leave camp. She quickly bounded across the clearing, through the gorse tunnel, and into the unknown forest.


	5. Chapter 4: Forest of Danger

Chapter 4:

Squirrelkit Alone

Squirrelkit was dazzled by all the new and mysterious scents in the forest. The trees seemed to be so tall that they touched the sky. She felt so small. Suddenly Squirrelkit smelled something strange.

She couldn't identify the scent, although, she realized, it must be some kind of prey.

"Strange," she muttered to herself. "I haven't smelled that before!"

Squirrelkit decided to go after the scent. The smell got stronger as she carried on through the forest, until it clogged her nose so that she couldn't smell anything else. She stopped in front of a bush, where the scent seemed to be coming from. She leaped into the bush. I

Squirrelkit came face-to-face with a strange, rank-smelling black-and-white-striped creature. It wasn't very big, but it seemingly towered over Squirrelkit.

The badger didn't hesitate. It lashed out at her, scratching her nose so that it started bleeding.

Squirrelkit, terrified, yelped, "Mama! Help me!"

But of course camp was too far away.

The badger growled and bared it's sharp fangs, and Squirrelkit knew she had to defend herself or die. Before the badger could strike again, Squirrelkit swiped her claws across it's face. The badger drew back for a second, taken by surprise. Squirrelkit used this time to flee, but the badger was right behind her, snapping at her heels.

"Help!" she cried again, but to no prevail.

The badger was gaining on her. Squirrelkit had shorter legs than it. She knew she was as good as dead.

"StarClan, help me!" Squirrelkit heard herself mutter.

That surprised her. She never talked about StarClan, but there she was, asking them to save her.

Squirrelkit knew she couldn't run forever. She had to stop soon. She was getting tired, but the badger showed no signs of slowing down. The world was a blur. She was so tired she that she collapsed, gasping for air.

"Mama," Squirrelkit mewed, barely a whisper, as she saw the badger's evil black-and-white head in front of her. The world darkened, and Squirrelkit was out cold.

**Sorry about that short-ish chapter. It's a cliff-hanger…will Squirrelkit survive? I have a good plot for this to come soon in upcoming chapters….stay tuned! -Liontide**


	6. Chapter 5: A Shadowy Fate

Chapter 5:

A Shadowy Fate

**Bramblepaw's POV**

Bramblepaw was bored. He had just eaten, and was basking in the sun. He was going to become a warrior very soon. He was excited, but felt useless at the moment. The dark tabby, a spitting image of his evil father, Tigerstar, sat up and gave his shoulder a quick lick. Suddenly, he heard commotion by where the nursery was.

"Squirrelkit is gone!"

Bramblepaw recognized Sandstorm's voice, and he hurried to where she was standing.

"Squirrelkit?" Bramblepaw remembered the feisty young kit, soon to be an apprentice.

"Oh, where has she gone now?" Bramblepaw whipped around to see his leader, Firestar, and Squirrelkit's father, approaching his mate. Sandstorm simply shook her head, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Sandstorm, I'll send out a search patrol," he reassured his mate, "We'll find her."

Bramblepaw shook his head. That Squirrelkit was always getting into trouble and scaring her mother to death. He hurried out of camp, no patrol behind him. He was sure she was not far into the forest.

Suddenly Bramblepaw smelled badger. Frightened, he leaped into a nearby puddle to cover his scent and pelted into a bush. He watched as the badger paused, sniffed the air, then hobbled on.

Bramblepaw crept out of the bush and struggled to catch Squirrelkit's scent through the rankness of the badger. Had the badger gotten Squirrelkit? He managed to get a hold of her scent trail and followed it to a clearing, near Fourtrees. But it ended there, and there was blood covering the grass.

"Oh, no," Bramblepaw whispered in shock.

Suddenly, the ThunderClan search patrol, led by Firestar, hurried up behind him. Firestar took one look at the blood and turned his head away, tears forming in his green eyes. "The badger," he murmured. "I knew it. There was no hope."

Bramblepaw felt sorry for his leader. He also felt sad for Squirrelkit. He thought she would make a nice warrior one day. He sighed.

Firestar turned and led his patrol back to camp, his head held low, tears splattering on the grassy ground, his tail dragging along behind him. Gray-black clouds started to cover the sky, and the rain that fell signaled StarClan was sad too.

**OoOoOoO! Suspence! What will happen next? Why Squirrelkit? You will soon see...-Liontide**


	7. Chapter 6: A Bundle of Mystery

Chapter 6:

A Bundle of Mystery

Two cats crept along, their shadows outlining against the darkening sky. One, a silver tom, held something small in his teeth. The other, a much bigger brown tabby tom, led the way to the horrid-smelling Thunderpath.

"So we give it to Blackstar?" asked the silver tom through the small bundle in his mouth, pausing to check for monsters as they crossed the Thunderpath.

"Yes, Quickfoot," growled the brown tabby. He chuckled. "He'll be pleased."

Quickfoot nodded as he and the other warrior hurried off of the Thunderpath.

"But Thicketclaw," mumbled Quickfoot through the small something in his mouth, "Are you sure Blackstar's plan will work?"

"Do you question our leader?" Thicketclaw snapped.

Quickfoot went faster, muttering, "No."

"Thought so." snarled Thicketclaw.

The two warriors hurried across the terrain, avoiding trees, and heading straight for the ShadowClan camp.

Russetfur appeared by the entrance. "I see you were successful," she meowed, obviously pleased.

Quickfoot and Thicketclaw dipped their heads respectfully to the ShadowClan deputy.

"The plan has been set," meowed Thicketclaw.

Russetfur nodded, eyeing the bundle in Quickfoot's teeth.

"Come on," she said, glancing around, "I'll take that."

Quickfoot dropped his bundle on the marshy ground, and Russetfur picked it up and padded into the camp. Thicketclaw and Quickfoot followed not far behind the she-cat.

Eyes from every ShadowClan cat in the camp stared at the small bundle in Russetfur's mouth. They muttered curious and excited mews to each other as Russetfur left Thicketclaw and Quickfoot by the entrance to Blackstar's den. The two warriors left, and Russetfur went in.

"Do you have the kit?" Blackstar meowed.

"Yes,"

"Are you sure it's Firestar's?"

"We're postive."

"Good."

**OoOoOoO! I hope you liked this chapter, it wasn't very long though…-Liontide**


	8. Chapter 7:Tears Shed Mysteries Unraveled

Chapter 7:

Tears Shed, Mysteries Unraveled

Sandstorm walked along the riverbed, by the RiverClan border, her tail dragging in the wet grass. Tears dropped from her whiskers and she sat down, looking into the swift-moving river. She saw her own reflection, and Firestar's. Sandstorm turned around to see her mate standing behind her, about as sad she was, maybe even more.

"Hey, Sandstorm," mewed Firestar quietly.

Sandstorm nodded, turning back to face the river. She felt like leaping in, being swept away forever, and joining her lost kit. It was all her fault.

"Don't, Sandstorm," Firestar meowed, as if he could read his mate's thoughts, "Leafkit still needs you." He let his tears flow freely, looking into Sandstorm's eyes, "I need you."

Sandstorm shook her head sadly. Firestar padded to her side and pressed his pelt against hers comfortingly.

"It's going to be all right, Sandstorm," muttered Firestar.

"It'll never be all right, Firestar," meowed Sandstorm, "Squirrelkit is gone, and it's all my fault."

"No, it's not," Firestar said, "Nobody's to blame for this."

"Oh, Firestar, why Squirrelkit?" cried Sandstorm, "Why our little kit? Aren't StarClan watching over us? Why didn't they save her?" There was anger hinted in her voice.

"We are not the puppets of StarClan," replied Firestar calmly. "They do what they can, but the rest is up to us."

Sandstorm didn't say anything. She simply stared into the river's vast waters, wishing that she could just wake up from this horrible nightmare and have Squirrelkit and Leafkit curled at her side.

"All hope isn't lost yet," Firestar mewed hopefully.

"What hope is there?" meowed Sandstorm sadly. "Squirrelkit is dead, and she will always be dead."

Firestar sighed, and he and his mate sat quietly together, staring into the river.

**Bramblepaw's POV**

Bramblepaw couldn't stop thinking about Squirrelkit's death. He didn't have training that day because his mentor, Firestar, was grieving his daughter, so he had time to think.

"It is most likely that the badger got her, but what if it didn't?" he muttered to himself. "But why was there blood?"

"Hey," meowed Frostfur, one of the newer elders, from across the clearing, "Cats will think you're crazy if you keep talking to yourself!"

Bramblepaw shook his head and decided to go out into the forest to think by himself. He settled himself beneath a great oak tree.

"Wait a second – my mother told me that badgers never kill cats to eat, but for the thrill of killing! If the badger had gotten Squirrelkit, there would be a body to show for it." Bramblepaw muttered to himself. "But…if it wasn't the badger…"

"What 'cha doin'?" Cloudtail, a white warrior, padded up.

"Oh, nothing," Bramblepaw answered quickly, "Just…relaxing."

Cloudtail settled himself beside Bramblepaw. "Thinking about what happened to Squirrelkit, aren't you?" he meowed.

Bramblepaw hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah." he admitted. "I was thinking that badgers don't kill cats for food, just for the thrill of it. So there would be a body if Squirrelkit was killed by a badger."

Cloudtail looked puzzled for a moment, then he brightened, meowing, "Hey, you've got a point!" He stood. "We should tell Firestar."

"No," Bramblepaw said quickly, surprising himself. "I want to figure this out first."

Cloudtail grinned. "You want to be a big hero," he mewed, chuckling. "Okay then. Tell me what you find out."

With that, the white warrior disapeared into the forest.

Bramblepaw sighed, staring off into space, deep in thought.

"The badger could've bitten her or something," he muttered, "That could be the case of the blood. Then she could've run away from the badger and hid somewhere! Maybe she's just up a tree or something!"

Excited, Bramblepaw hurried to where Squirrelkit was supposedly killed the night before. He saw where dried blood still stained the leaves. He sniffed it.

_Definitely Squirrelkit's,_ he thought.

He also scented faint traces of badger. He sniffed even harder, opening his mouth to taste the air, trying to find any sign of fresh Squirrelkit scent. He smelled something. But it was stale, and it wasn't Squirrelkit.

"ShadowClan!"


	9. Chapter 8: The Trap

Chapter 8

The Trap

Bramblepaw stared at the blood-stained leaves, eyes wide with shock.

"ShadowClan? But…how?" he muttered.

There was only one way to find out for sure. Bramblepaw gathered himself and raced through the trees, avoiding the clumps of bracken. He soon arrived at the musty-smelling Thunderpath. Bramblepaw quickly looked back and forth down the path, then pelted across.

Bramblepaw could smell ShadowClan almost as soon as he set paw on the other side of the Thunderpath. He kept his eyes and nose open for any ShadowClan patrols that might be heading his way. He quickly slipped through the trees and soon he found himself standing in front of the camp entrance.

Bramblepaw hadn't thought about how he would find out if Squirrelkit was there or not. He decided to creep around the outside of the camp and see if he could peer through the branches and into Blackstar's den. He was almost halfway across when he heard a rustle in the bracken behind him. Bramblepaw whipped around to see a ShadowClan apprentice.

"Tawnypaw!" Bramblepaw meowed.

Tawnypaw was his sister, but she joined ShadowClan after Tigerstar, their evil father, became leader. She had said that she felt everyone didn't like her because her father was evil. Now Tigerstar was dead, but Tawnypaw had stayed in ShadowClan.

"Bramblepaw?" Tawnypaw meowed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I was just…" Bramblepaw stumbled over his words.

"Bramblepaw, you need to leave," meowed Tawnypaw urgently. "Please. I don't want them to kill you."

"But – Tawnypaw, listen," Bramblepaw started, "I need to know, is Squirrelkit here? Did ShadowClan take her?"

Tawnypaw looked her brother in the eye. "Why would ShadowClan do that? They have been guilty of other things in the past…but that was the _past_, Bramblepaw. Now leave, for your own safety."

Bramblepaw nodded, sad. The only other choice was that Squirrelkit was dead.

He walked through the marshy ground, and when he was about to reach the Thunderpath, he heard Tawnypaw meowing, "Bramblepaw, wait!"

Bramblepaw turned around to face his sister. "What is it?" he meowed.

"Bramblepaw, ShadowClan does have Squirrelkit," Tawnypaw panted, "But…but it was because we found her passed out and didn't know she wasn't part of our Clan. Russetfur...she said Firestar and Graystripe can come and get her tomorrow."

"Just Graystripe and Firestar?" meowed Bramblepaw.

"Yes, make sure just they come," Tawnypaw mewed, nodding.

"Okay, thanks!" Bramblepaw said, hurrying across the Thunderpath.

**Tawnypaw's POV**

Tawnypaw hurried back to camp. Russetfur stopped her at the entrance.

"Did you tell him that only Graystripe and Firestar can come?" she meowed.

"Yes, Russetfur."

"Good."

Russetfur led Tawnypaw back into camp, and Russetfur went into Blackstar's den. Tawnypaw hung around to listen.

"Tawnypaw told the apprentice that only Firestar and Graystripe were to come tomorrow." She heard Russetfur meowing.

"She has earned her loyalty to our Clan," meowed Blackstar, pleased. "Her warrior ceremony will be soon."

"Yes." agreed Russetfur.

"So the trap is in place," meowed Blackstar, "And tomorrow we will kill Firestar and Graystripe. With no leader or deputy, ThunderClan will be powerless! Then ShadowClan will take over!"

"Yes, and ShadowClan will be the most powerful Clan in the forest!" Russetfur added.

The two cats chuckled, and Tawnypaw gasped.

**Dun, dun, dun! What will happen next? Will ShadowClan rule the forest? Or will a miracle save ThunderClan? -Liontide**


	10. Chapter 9: Desicions, Desicions

Chapter 9

Desicions, Desicions

Bramblepaw hurried into camp, a bit shaken by the news he was carrying. On one paw he was glad that Squirrelkit was alive, but on the other paw he wondered if this was all a big trap.

"Nah, Tawnypaw wouldn't do that to me," he told himself. He knew he _had _to be right.

"Hey Bramblepaw," Cloudtail padded up to him, looking curious. "Did you go off on detective work? Did you find anything out?"

Bramblepaw wondered if he should tell the white warrior what had happened. But then he remembered how he had promised to tell him what he found out.

"Er, yes, I did," he said, and explained all that had happened. Cloudtail's eyes widened.

"Do you think it's a trap?" he mewed softly. Bramblepaw simply shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted, hoping, wishing, that his sister was right.

"We should tell Firestar right away," Cloudtail whispered urgently. "Oh wait…Firestar is still out grieving with Sandstorm."

"This is important. Let's go find them." Bramblepaw tried to imagine Sandstorm's happy face when they told her that Squirrelkit is alive, but he kept thinking about how this might be a trap.

"Tawnypaw would never lie to me," he muttered to himself.

"What?" Cloudtail meowed, concerned.

"Nothing."

The brown tabby apprentice and white warrior trekked through the forest until they came to the river, where they spotted Sandstorm speaking to Firestar softly.

"Firestar, Sandstorm, Squirrelkit is alive!"

Sandstorm stood up, her mouth gaping in surprise. Firestar looked equally shocked.

"What? How?" Firestar meowed, because it seemed Sandstorm was too surprised and happy to speak.

Bramblepaw, with some help of Cloudtail, explained all that had happened.

It was Sandstorm who spoke this time.

"My little Squirrelkit…she's alive!"

"But she's with ShadowClan," Firestar meowed, his brow furrowed with anxiety. "Just me and Graystripe…what if it's a…"

"Trap?" Cloudtail answered for him. "That's what we thought."

"But Tawnypaw would've told me if it was a trap!" Bramblepaw insisted, hoping that he was right. Firestar merely shook his head.

"We can never be sure with ShadowClan," his leader meowed, "But I know that they won't give us Squirrelkit unless just Graystripe and I go. So…I'm willing to risk it."

Sandstorm purred and licked Firestar's ear. "But if you die…I'll feel the same as if Squirrelkit died." she mewed quietly.

"Then I'll try not to die," Firestar meowed, a hint of amusement in his emerald eyes. Sandstorm let out a _mrrow _of laughter.

"Did you tell Graystripe yet?" Firestar asked.

"No," Bramblepaw meowed, still unsure about all this. "But I will. Let's go, Cloudtail."

They raced back to camp and found Graystripe eating a shrew and sharing tongues with Rainwhisker by the warriors den. Bramblepaw quickly explained all that had happened.

"Thank StarClan that feisty little Squirrelkit is alive," Graystripe meowed. "Firestar and Sandstorm would've died of depression!"

"And think of poor little Leafkit!" added Rainwhisker. "But this all sounds like a trap."

"But…Tawnypaw wouldn't do that to me!" insisted Bramblepaw.

"And Firestar agrees that it sounds dangerous. But he is willing to risk himself for his daughter." Cloudtail meowed, admiring his kin.

Graystripe thought a moment, then stood and meowed solemnly, "Firestar is truly a great leader. I will not deny him, his daughter, and our Clan."

**0..0..0..0..0..0**

Bramblepaw went to the apprentice's den that night troubled. Firestar and Graystripe had talked, and they had their minds made up about going. They had organized some patrols to stand on their side of the Thunderpath for backup if they needed it. But that wasn't what was on Bramblepaw's mind.

"Tawnypaw wouldn't lie to me…would she?" he muttered to himself. He wished now more than ever that his sister was still with ThunderClan.

Bramblepaw slowly fell asleep, pictures of Firestar and Graystripe laying dead at Blackstar's paws haunting his dreams. He was afraid that they'd haunt the waking world soon, too.


End file.
